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Essay Archive - An Experiment in Edge Damage
An Experiment in Edge Damage
When a stone flake is used in specific applications, such as sawing
or whittling, distinct wear patterns are formed. In addition, unique
patterns are also formed by the surface on which the tool is used. Wood,
meat, hide, and bone all leave dissimilar scars on a lithic device. Modern
archaeologists have devised a method, called use-wear analysis, in which
attributes from archaeological remains are compared to modern examples
whose function is known. This allows archeologists to determine the
function of a prehistoric tool by its wear patterns. The purpose of thi....
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